After finishing the explanation of the communication tool, I handed the first unit to His Majesty Reinhardt and the second unit to Hilde.
His Majesty Reinhardt then handed me a letter.
With the letter in hand and preparations made, we headed to Rorie Village, the hometown of Fiana and her sisters, in the Old Trial Baronial Territory.
However, to avoid causing them discomfort, I hadn’t brought Fina, Fiana, or Reina with us.
This time, I had no intention of hiding my identity, so we entered riding in a Tenju Manufacturing Beast Carriage.
“H-Halt! W-What in the world are you?!”
“You’re quick to appear.”
Upon arriving at Rorie Village, the village chief immediately showed himself.
Well, with a beast carriage like this, they’d never seen anything like it, so it’s understandable they’d be flustered and wonder what was happening.
“Are you the thieves who kidnapped Dusk and the others?! Are you planning to kidnap someone else from the village again?!”
It seems they remembered us, but in their eyes, we’re still treated as thieves.
“Don’t bark, thieves.”
Before pointing fingers at others, I think they should first reflect on their own actions.
“Silence! To ensure such a thing never happens again, a noble lord has already dispatched soldiers to this village! For common thieves like you to defy a noble lord, let alone our Valentia’s Chancellor, Streihait Fraiheit, is the height of folly!”
“Streihait?”
An unexpected name came up here.
Streihait Fraiheit is Valentia’s Chancellor and also the lord of the Fraiheit Baronial Territory. However, he is a wanted criminal, not only in Valentia but also in other countries, for siding with Solemne. He should have no power left. Is Streihait in Rorie Village?
“Oh my. Could it be that this village is harboring a traitor? Word of what that man did has spread to other countries, you know?”
“Streihait-sama would never do such a thing! He is being targeted because he is an obstruction to the Beast King! Just like Duke Hydransia!”
They sound more like Streihait’s subordinates than being deceived. Come to think of it, Gilfa Trial, who was the lord here, was allied with Streihait, so it wouldn’t be strange for him to manipulate information.
“I’ll ask just one thing. Slavery is abhorred in this village, but is that perhaps Streihait’s policy?”
“Of course. Selling one’s family and living on that money is an unforgivable act for a human.”
“Even so, that doesn’t justify stealing that money.”
“As I said? Living on the money from selling one’s family is unforgivable. Therefore, we merely returned that money to the village.”
Streihait again. This place isn’t close to the Fraiheit Baronial Territory, but it’s surrounded by forests, and it’s a considerable distance to Trial. So, he secured this village as a hideout in case of emergencies and controls it to his liking.
“So that means Streihait is here?”
“Hmph. What could mere thieves possibly do even if they knew?”
The village chief smiled condescendingly, but it’s confirmed. This has become an unexpected development, and I’ll have to search the entire village later.
“You say the most interesting things. But can you say the same thing with these two in front of you?”
Mana wore a malicious smile, and I probably looked the same. As the doors of the beast carriage opened, two people, a man and a woman, stepped out.
“Hmph! I don’t know who you are, but bringing such people won’t change anything!”
But the village chief merely sneered at them. I’m actually impressed.
“To think there was such a village in Valentia.”
“I heard about it, but you’re truly scum.”
With that, the two of them presented their licenses to the village chief.
“E-Ancient Foxy?! And from Duke Hydransia’s household?! More than that… His Majesty the Beast King!?”
“I can’t help it if you don’t recognize His Majesty Gumnos, but it’s not something you can just dismiss by not knowing!?”
“Indeed.”
I really didn’t expect His Majesty the Beast King to personally come to a village like this. We were also taken aback when King Gumnos said he was coming along. Mana also prepared her license and threw it at the despairing village chief.
“The Princess of Amister…?!”
“You probably didn’t expect it, but you were the one who attacked first, weren’t you? You made remarks that could be seen as challenging His Majesty the Beast King, so no matter what you say, you’ll still be punished. You likely have other crimes as well, so you will be thoroughly investigated. Oh, and the investigation will cover all the villagers.”
Depending on the results of the investigation, the villagers might not be punished, but since Rorie Village is where Streihait is hiding, it won’t be left as is. It’s up to King Gumnos.
“Capture this person. The villagers also need to be gathered here, but refrain from treating them harshly.”
” ” “Yes!” ” ”
Following King Gumnos’s orders, the Royal Beast Knights who had been inside the Tenju Manufacturing Beast Carriage appeared. It was inevitable that the Beast King would bring his Royal Beast Knight guards with him. I didn’t expect Streihait to be here, but I figured there might be a confrontation, so Prim and Mana flew with King Gumnos to Centro. There are twenty of them.
“Your Majesty, I…”
“Indeed, do as you please. I never expected Streihait to be hiding in a village like this.”
“It was unexpected. However, it’s fortuitous for Valentia that we can settle this here,”
Feito Lotus, a female High Ulfy leading the Royal Beast Knights, replied to King Gumnos as I saw Prim off. I’ll go search for Streihait with Prim. I don’t know his face, but he’d be dressed like a noble, so I should be able to identify him.
“Your Majesty, I will also go search for Streihait.”
“Understood. I believe you’ll be alright, but don’t push yourself.”
“Yes.”
The Royal Beast Knights are gathering the villagers, but their faces are filled with indescribable anxiety. They probably didn’t expect this, but it’s their own fault, so all I can say is to accept it and be properly investigated. Now, I’ll leave the villagers to the Royal Beast Knights and go look for Streihait. Where should I look?
Side: Prim
With King Gumnos’s permission, I entered the largest building on the outskirts of the village. The Yamato group who came here last time didn’t seem to notice either, but it was cleverly hidden by the trees. Fiana mentioned that construction began before Yamato took them away, so that’s understandable. However, this is almost certainly Streihait’s hideout.
“Hmph, there are still Beast Knights who obey him.”
As I stepped onto the grounds, fully armed Beast Knights appeared. This is confirmed. It would be best to use Barrier Magic first to seal off the mansion and prevent escape.
“Who goes there?! How dare you trespass this place, which serves as a summer resort for a certain noble?”
“Noble? He’s just a usurper, no, a traitor. The Beast King himself is outside, so give up already.”
The Beast Knights faltered for a moment at my words but still didn’t let go of their swords. They are likely good knights with strong loyalty, but the man they serve is scum, so it’s a waste.
“Let me tell you, trying to buy time is futile. If I wanted to, I could burn down a mansion like this in an instant.”
With that, I threw my license.
“From the Duke Hydransia household…!?”
“Let me ask again. Is the master of this mansion Streihait Fraiheit?”
“…That is correct.”
“You know what Streihait did, don’t you?”
“We do. And even so, we follow Streihait-sama.”
They don’t follow him grudgingly, but they don’t seem to follow him with delight either. I’ll find out why when I capture him and investigate.
“Then you know what I intend to do, don’t you?”
“…”
No reply. No, they are unable to decide whether to capture or kill him. I’d love to burn down the entire mansion, but if I did that here, the fire could spread to the trees and cause a catastrophe. Therefore, I intend to capture Streihait and hand him over to His Majesty the Beast King. I was told that his life or death is not important, but Streihait’s crimes are too grave, so he should be publicly executed in Centro.
“If you honestly bring Streihait here, there may be room for leniency.”
“Selling out one’s lord! A foolish act unbecoming of a Beast Knight! We will stop you here with our lives!”
Is that how it is? Their resolve is admirable, but doesn’t this make me the villain? It’s not that subordinates are necessarily villains for following their lord, but it still makes things difficult.
“Your resolve is admirable. As a gesture of respect, I will spare your lives. Oh, and I will search the mansion on my own, so your guidance is not required.”
Accelerating with Accelerating Magic, I struck the Beast Knights, who wore determined expressions, and knocked them unconscious. I might have used a bit too much force, so I used High Healing too, but they’re alive, right? Their breathing… Good, they’re breathing.
“This mansion is… it has an attic, but it’s basically two stories. I don’t know if there’s a basement, but since it was built a year ago, there probably aren’t any underground passages.”
He likely has arrangements to gather information, as befits a hideout, but our arrival here was purely by chance. Even Streihait shouldn’t have had any preparations ready. Still, I don’t know what might be there, so I reinforced myself with Mana Ring and entered the mansion. It’s not particularly large, let’s start with the second floor.
“W-Who are you?!”
As I thought that, a man, Loxy, appeared from the landing of the stairs leading to the second floor. I knew it.
“Long time no see, Streihait Fraiheit?”
“What… P-Primrose Hydransia!? Impossible! Why are you here?!”
“That’s none of your business. Now, Streihait, are you ready?”
Streihait, seeing me with full Magic Power, lost his composure. He doesn’t look like a man who once served as the Chancellor of this country.
“Your person will be handed over to His Majesty the Beast King. After being investigated there, you will be publicly executed. This is the price for your foolish ambition. Accept it fully.”
I cloaked myself in wings of explosion and manipulated the wind, levitating Streihait’s body. If I could use Telekinetic Magic like Yamato or Meena, it would be easier, but unfortunately, I can’t use Telekinetic Magic. So, I deprived Streihait of his freedom with wind magic, levitated him, and took him away.
“W-What is this wind?! L-Let go, you insolent wretch!”
“Be grateful that I’m carrying you gently. To me, you are nothing but my father’s enemy!”
“Grrr… Gak…!”
My bad, my bad. I lost control and strengthened the wind’s force. His left arm and leg are bent in unnatural directions, but he won’t be able to escape like this, so I’ll consider it acceptable for now.
“His Majesty Gumnos has given me permission to spare your life if I deem it necessary, and has also permitted me to dispose of you here. However, it’s not just my father who died because of you. That is precisely why you should be publicly executed in front of the people.”
The lives lost due to this scumbag harboring ambitions and allying with our sworn enemy, Solemne, are many. Rodpiece in the North and Trial suffered devastating damage, and Ovest in the West was also deeply scarred. Moreover, the timber procured from Valentia’s forests was used as fuel for Steam Battleships, causing significant damage to Torencia, which had soldiers sent every year. Libertà was pushed to the brink of extinction. Frankly, this man’s life alone cannot atone for his grave sins. The Fraiheit noble family has already been apprehended for treason and is awaiting execution, but that’s still not enough. Therefore, at the very least, a public execution should be held to make his crimes known to all, both domestically and internationally. I didn’t expect to meet him here, but this will also eliminate Valentia’s biggest obstacle, and the Federation Heavenly Empire can avoid leaving behind a lingering threat, so in the end, it’s a fortunate outcome.
As for the disposition of Rorie Village, in addition to their disrespect towards King Gumnos, their words and actions showed support for Streihait, so the village chief will likely face the death penalty. For the other villagers, it depends on the results of the investigation, but it’s unlikely they will be acquitted. However, regardless of the outcome, Rorie Village will have to be abandoned. It will likely be resettled in a city governed by the Basilus Family. Trial has been destroyed to the point where reconstruction is difficult, and the crimes committed by Streihait and Gilfa are too great to make it the capital of a new minor country. It would be better to abandon it and build a city elsewhere.
